Chapter 9

Doctor Klein made an attempt to make them feel comfortable, closing the blinds to prevent anyone glancing in as they passed and perhaps recognizing one of his visitors as Mrs. Luthor. He worked on a couple of test tubes for almost four hour.

He also gave Jerome a whole glass of that purple liquid he was working on.

Then he turned towards his guests.

One of the first things he asked Jerome - although he suspected he already knew the answer - was whether the child felt weaker here at the lab than he had in the hospital.

"I'm not weaker. I'm... I don't know, I feel strange..."

The doctor smiled. "You're still weak but less tired, right?" The boy nodded. "That's good. It's means we're on the right track."

Lois looked into the doctor's eyes. For the first time in months she felt a flicker of hope. "Did you find a cure?"

"Stew and I..."

Lois turned abruptly. That sound. Never before had there been a sound that she'd wished for, hoped for, so much. Jerome was sitting in front of the TV, laughing loudly.

Clark returned, dressed in his street clothes, just at that moment. He had heard the laughter long before he reached the room, and it pleased him. He knocked on the lab door before entering.

Jerome ran quickly towards Clark, embracing his father, still laughing.

Clark was overwhelmed by the boy's enthusiasm. Lois wiped her tears with one hand, trying to compose herself, as she approached the man she loved.

"Is everything all right?" Clark asked.

She kissed him on his lips. "He's laughing" was the whispered answer.

Doctor Klein sat watching the little scene in front of him. The way this child was looking at this stranger caught his attention. Also the way the man looked a little worried and a little funny at the woman and the way he lifted the kid from the ground seemed to convey to him a certain amount care and love for the boy and his mother. They were acting a lot like they were a family but he knew that Lois was married to Lex Luthor and also he now knew that Jerome was Superman's son. And in that moment, for some mysterious reason Doctor Klein had the clear idea that the man in jacket and tie was Superman.

"My name is Clark Kent," Clark introduced himself. "Superman said Lois and Jerome were here."

Klein almost began to laugh. Well, if Superman wanted to hide his true identity, that was okay with him.

"I'm Doctor Bernard Klein." The doctor turned toward his table and started to check something on it.

"You still don't feel too bad, right, Jerome?" Jerome shook his head in a big smile. "I need to ask your mom some questions; maybe you and... your friend... could wait outside for a moment or two?" Jerome looked at Clark and nodded.

"Can we, Mom?"

"Sure..." Something made Lois uncomfortable. It's seemed that this strange doctor was trying to make also Clark go out the room.

He waited carefully until Clark and Jerome closed the door behind them before he moved towards a beaker filled with a purple liquid.

You know, Ms. Luthor - "

"Lane, please. But Lois is fine too." She smiled lightly in apology for the interruption.

"As you prefer, Ms. Lane...Lois. I had to move this piece of Kryptonite and I didn't want to risk causing your son more pain."

"You have Kryptonite here?" Renewed terror entered her voice.

"Don't worry. You saw Jerome, he can't feel this. We did find a way to lessen the meteorite's effects. This is the basis of our vaccine. Now we need to move that to the safe, out of harm's way because we need to use this liquid."

Doctor Klein poured the liquid into a smaller test tube. There was a piece of kryptonite as big as a walnut left within the larger tube. "This now has less effect, but I didn't want to take any risks. Ms. Lane, Jerome isn't going to be put at risk any more. I know it's difficult to trust Stewart or me, but believe me, we want to save this child. We have since the moment he was booked into the hospital."

Lois' gaze followed the doctor as he put the green crystal into the safe and closed the steel door. She found herself sighing a relieved breath when it was out of her sight.

"Now we can let Jerome and Mister...what was his name?"

"Kent, Clark Kent." Lois found herself smiling as she said his name.

"It sounds familiar."

"He was a reporter, a great reporter, and now is a writer."

"Oh yeah! My sister is a big fan of his! She spent all of Thanksgiving talking about his latest book."

Lois smiled again as she opened the door. "Clark..." The corridor was empty. She felt a pang of panic. "Clark?" she repeated, but this time her voice trembled. What if...?

He was Clark. He would never take her son away from her.

But Jerome was his now too.

It's Clark. He wouldn't do that. He couldn't. Maybe he sensed the kryptonite and ran away to protect Jerome...

Her head felt as though it was exploding. She leaned against the door, trying to think calmly. In the same moment the rest room door opened and Jerome and Clark walked out.

Lois almost ran into Clark's arms.

Instantly he held her, realizing she was trembling. "Hey... what's up?"

"I'm so silly... I'm sorry... I thought... I'm sorry," she apologized, trying to smile, but her body was still trembling.

"You thought I left you here alone?"

She nodded but then stopped. "No... I don't... I'm sorry." Clark kissed her lips sweetly.

"It's ok. I'm never going to leave you again. Jerome just needed to go...well you know."

Lois turned toward the child and took his small hand into hers, while Clark slipped his arm around her shoulders.

ooOOoo

Doctor Klein spent the next hour carefully examining Jerome. Finally, he concluded that, just as he and Stew had guessed, Jerome was improving rapidly.

Lois and Clark were ecstatic to hear that news. Lois especially had never thought to hear that Jerome was improving considering how his condition had done nothing but deteriorate for the past few months. Doctor Klein, having finished his examinations, suggested that they all call it a night. He told Lois that he would like to continue to monitor Jerome's progress daily but that they were free to go.

"I guess we have a slight problem now." Lois bit her lip before adding, "Where can we go? I mean...we have no place to stay tonight. And we can't go to a hotel..."

"Luthor would know where you are in a second." Clark agreed.

"But haven't the police arrested him yet? What did Henderson say?"

"Inspector Henderson said that he needed more proof. Ok, he had Doctor Lewis's statement and he's going to protect him and his family. But he can't do anything else quite yet. There are no witnesses that can testify that Luthor threatened him. It's the doctor's word against Luthor's. And guess who he wanted to believe more? Of course we do have a witness, Jerome, but I don't think it would be a very good idea to bring him into this. First we'd have to come up with a story of how Jerome overheard the two of them talking without revealing his powers or why he wasn't noticed by either of the two men. But I don't think having Jerome make a statement is a good thing anyway. I think that would only force Luthor to expose Jerome's genetic heritage to the world which would be the worst thing that could happen to Jerome and to you as well Lois."

"I hate him!" Lois' voice trembled with rage. She was silent for a while. "They won't be safe," she whispered.

"What?"

"Doctor Lewis and Sammy. The police won't be able to protect them from Lex. He'll kill them. He'll try everything he can to kill us, but we have Superman on our side. They're...unprotected!" Her voice revealed her fear, especially for her son's little friend.

"You're right. I'll..." Clark suddenly remembered that Klein was there too. "I'll ask Superman to help them too."

Lois smiled. "Thanks," she whispered again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but maybe I can help. You can stay at my place. It's not the Lexor Hotel but it's comfortable enough. We can't stay here. My colleagues will be back in the morning and Friday is a busy day. It'd be too risky."

"Are you really offering us your place?"

"Well, it's only a loft. But it'll be large enough for all of you, Sam and Stew too."

"Clark, you'll come with us? Please, please, please?" Jerome almost didn't let Klein finish his statement.

Lois turned towards Clark too, unaware of the hopeful plea that was expressed in her face.

"Well, I don't know...if I can..." He seemed very embarrassed.

Lois' gaze saddened. "I'm sure Clark already has somewhere he can stay," she said, looking at her son. In that moment she realized that he had never told her where he was living now. He had just been there for them. But now, thinking about it, she couldn't remember Clark saying he was living in Metropolis.

"That's not what I meant," he whispered. "I just want to be sure you can be comfortable with it, Lois."

Lois' eyes flashed. "I'd be happy for you to stay with us."

"So Clark will come with us? Yeahh !" Jerome jumped off the table he was lying on, escaping from Klein's hands to run towards his real father.

Clark hugged him as tightly as he could. And for the first time he realized he was embracing his son. Their son. The child he'd had with the woman he loved. And this made him feel alive.

ooOOoo

Clark, as Superman, flied Doctor Klein, Lois and Jerome in Klein's loft that same evening and some moment later he flied to take also Doctor Lewis and his daughter. Inspector Henderson was quite relieved for that. There was already some voice in the police department and he wanted to keep all this silent in order to take Luthor with surprise, and avoid he could hide all the trace.

Jerome was so happy when he saw Sammy. Even thought it was already quite late, the two children were allowed to stay up late. Sammy didn't have to go to school the next day and Jerome felt pretty good.

While the two doctors continued to work on the vaccine the others played games and had a really good time just being together.

The first one to fall asleep was Lois. One moment she was sitting on the couch, smiling and playing, the next she was sleeping with a relieved smile on her face. Clark took her into his arms and the kids giggled.

"They're in love," Clark heard the little girl whisper to her friend.

"They've always been in love," was Jerome's answer.

Clark couldn't help but smile.

Clark settled Lois carefully onto the bed that Bernard had set up for her and Jerome. He covered her up as the room was a little cold. Clark stared at her for a long moment, then he bent to kiss her on the lips. It was a quick, butterfly kiss, but it was enough to send a wave of emotions flooding through him. "I love you, Lois," he whispered.

Even in her dreams she reacted to his declaration. "I love you too, Clark," she mumbled. For a moment time seemed to stand still.

Clark simply closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

But Lois' reaction surprised him. She sat up abruptly on the bed, her gaze terrified.

"Lois... what's wrong?" he spoke with sweetness, caressing her hand.

"It wasn't a dream? You really are here?" she asked, afraid that her fears could be the truth. That he could vanish, if she just stretched out a hand towards him.

Clark didn't know what to say to her. He just gathered her into his strong arms, holding her with all of the love he was feeling. "Lois, I'm here and, if you want me, I'm going to be with you for the rest of my life."

This time Lois was the one who held him tight. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Lois, but now you have to sleep. Today was a really full day, wasn't it?"

She smiled and nodded. "Clark, could you...could you stay with me tonight? At least until Jerome goes to sleep? Just until I fall asleep? Just for a few minutes...please..." Lois was still hiding her face against his shoulder. She spoke uncertainly, as though afraid to say the wrong thing, then, after a small pause, her voice came as a whisper. "I need to have you here...holding me like you are now."

"Lois, I'll never stop holding you. It makes me feel..."

"Alive again," she finished for him.

Clark's hand slowly lifted her chin until their gaze met. He simply kissed her, while Lois slipped her arms around his neck. "Stay with me...please!"

"I will. Let me go ask Jerome if it's okay with him. I don't want to embarrass him."

"I love you so much," was her answer.

Lois was reluctant to let him go, but she was also happy to see how Clark treated their son.

THEIR SON.

He really cared about Jerome, he'd always cared about him since the moment he'd met him. Lois wasn't able to hear what he was saying now but she recognised the love in his tone and it was wonderful. She had never heard anyone speak to Jerome in the way that Clark did. She didn't fully understand it, but she recognised that the two people she loved more than anything else in the world had shared, since that first moment they'd met, something special, something deep and eternal - the same feeling that she and Clark had shared since the day they'd met in Perry White's office, at the Planet.

ooOOoo

"Jerome, I have to talk to you."

"Ehmmm... Clark... I didn't mean to, but... I promise I wasn't listening, I was playing, but I just couldn't help hear - "

"It's okay, Jerome, I know how this works at your age. You'll learn how to control that in time."

"You'll teach me?"

"Of course I will." They smiled at each other as Sammy stared at them, not really understanding what they were talking about. After a couple of seconds of silence, Clark asked, "So, since I don't have to ask the question, what's the answer?"

"Okay. If I can stay up a little longer," Jerome teased.

Clark kissed the top of his head. "Thanks," he whispered.

Jerome hugged him for a second, then whispered into his ear, "I love you, Dad." Then, before Clark could react, he ran away, jumping on the couch. His little friend laughed, going back to the game that Clark had interrupted.

Clark needed a moment to recover, then he approached the couch and gave the little girl a kiss too. "Goodnight to you too, Sammy."

As soon as Clark joined her in the bed, Lois held him tightly. And the knowledge that Jerome was able to listen to every breath they took...well he needed time to adjust to this.

"You know, Clark, I never felt so relaxed as I am with you."

"Really?"

She nodded, smiling against his chest.

"I have to be really boring then," he said, amused.

She raised her head, in order to look at him better. "Yeah, you are very boring," she joked. Then she stretched up to kiss him. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and in this position, she fell asleep.

Clark couldn't believe his luck. He was here, with the woman he loved in his arms, and their child playing in the next room. And now he was sure that Jerome was going to survive.

The two doctors were doing everything in their power to perfect the vaccine that would protect Jerome from Kryptonite, they had also determined that there was nothing physically wrong with Jerome nor did there seem to be any permanent damage from his prolonged exposure. These facts and the knowledge that he too would be here for Jerome and would protect him with his life if necessary made Clark as sure as he could be that Jerome would survive and with Lois at his side they would someday be a real family.

Clark stayed awake until Jerome came into the room. "Hey..."

"Mom's sleeping?"

"Yeah," Clark whispered. "Come here," The boy smiled.

"Are you going to sleep with us?"

"Well, I don't know... I guess I should go make up the couch."

"Clark? You can stay, if you want..."

"I'd be happy to stay."

"I'll be happy if you stay." Clark grabbed the boy and held him, kissing his head.

Clark made him lie down between him and Lois. Jerome fell asleep almost immediately. Clark lay in the darkness listening to their soft breathing. And, listening, he slipped into the most beautiful dream of his life.

Some hours later, a low moan brought Clark awake so suddenly that he almost fell to the floor. He realized that he'd been floating in his sleep. He opened his eyes to look at his son. Jerome was dreaming, crying in his sleep.

He opened his eyes looking toward his son. He was dreaming, and again in his dream he was crying.

"I want my dad...go away...no...Mom...Dad! You are bad! Mom! Dad!" Jerome began to struggle in his sleep. He wasn't yelling yet, but his moans were becoming louder. Clark noticed that Lois' heartbeat was changing. She was waking up too.

"Jerome..." He caressed the child's face. "Honey, it's just a nightmare..." He lightly shook the little boy. Jerome sat up sharply in the bed. His heart was pumping furiously. Lois opened her eyes, but Jerome was already in Clark's arms, crying hopelessly.

"Dad... He killed you... He killed you both..."

"Shhhh. I'm here...I'm here...and mom too. We're fine. You're okay. Stop crying now, Jerome. Nothing will happen to us, any of us. Shhhhh...stop crying..." He was rubbing Jerome's back and kissing his head, holding him firmly against his chest. He raised his gaze to Lois.

She was holding the blanket tightly in her fists. She was trembling.

Clark stretched his arms toward her, taking her into his firm hug.

"As soon as Bernard and Stew finish the vaccine, everything will be okay. They're very close. You have to trust me on this one..." Clark wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure more, them or him. He realized Lois was sobbing too. "I promise. Everything will be fine."

To Be Continued